The Family He'd Been Looking For
by anubislover
Summary: Set didn't know why he went to the Hall of Judgment, but he hadn't expected to have a civil conversation with his brother. Or run into his wife and meet his son. Or get punched in the face by said son. First Kane Chronicles fic, so Please Read and Review!


Hey everyone! This is my first _Kane Chronicles_ fanfic, so while I am quite familiar with Egyptian mythology, please excuse anything that might accidentally be inconsistent with the books. To be fair Egyptian mythology has a more confusing cannon than Marvel and DC combined, since as times changed so did the stories. Please read and Review!

Disclaimer: Rick Riordan is the author of the series, and since I have no connection to him other than being a fan of his books, I own nothing.

The Family He'd Been Looking For

He didn't know why he was doing it. Maybe it was the looming threat of Apophis and his desire to destroy the world. Maybe it was the memory of the life he had before Isis had selfishly sent Ra away. Or maybe he was just bored and a little lonely. No matter the reason, Set had decided it was high time to make a trip to the Land of the Dead for a little family reunion.

Dressed in his perfectly tailored blood-red suit, he transported himself to the Hall of Judgment. Strolling casually through the grand yet gloomy entrance, he found himself wondering exactly who he was there to see. Certainly not Isis, though the witch would doubtlessly be there somewhere, faithfully at her husband's side. He supposed he could be there to visit Osiris. Oddly enough ever since Julius Kane became his host, the God of the Dead had born him little ill-will about the whole murder incident. He supposed it had something to do with the fact that Julius knew it had to be done in order to set things right. But Set still didn't care to look at the god who would have stolen his rightful place as king. So who did that leave? Who did he really want to see, and why did he think he'd find them at the Hall of Judgment?

"Set!" Julius called out, beaming as he caught sight of his brother. His blue skin stood out against the gold of his grand throne. "What are you doing all the way over there? Come here, man, it's been too long since we last saw each other!"

Set cringed a bit. He hadn't seen Osiris that happy to see him since he gave him the golden sarcophagus. For good reason he supposed, but it was still unnerving. It was obvious Julius was the one in charge of the shared form.

Still, he gave a curt nod in greeting. "Brother," he said, finally reaching the base of the throne. "How have you been? Still dead?"

Surprisingly, Julius laughed at the snide comment. "As a doornail, but why complain? So, are you here on business, or is this a social call?" he asked, leaning back in his golden throne.

He glanced around the hall. The gold pillars stood out against the translucent image of a graveyard. Ammit the Devourer lay curled up snoozing at the base of the scales. Set briefly noticed that aside from the beast, the scales were unattended to. Wasn't there supposed to be someone in charge of those? He put it out of his mind. "Social. Yes, I know, I'm surprised too. But I figured with the end of the world on its way I might as well make some time to visit the family," the God of Evil said, nonchalantly dusting sand off his shoulder.

Julius gave him a look. "The world is not ending, Set. Not if my kids have anything to say about it."

Deciding it was better to not argue about the competency of two barely teenage godlings-in-training, Set said, "Sure it won't. How have things been going down here? Things finally getting back on track?" He glanced around again, happily noting Isis' absence.

To his surprise, Julius laughed. "Why don't we talk while we eat, eh? This is feeling far too much like a business call with you just standing there." He got up and threw an arm around Set's shoulders. "Come on, lunch should be just about ready. Ruby is reorganizing the library, so it'll be nice to have some company."

"You eat?" he asked, attempting to hide his discomfort at being touched so casually.

Julius laughed again as they reached a small dining room, likely fashioned after one he'd had as a human. "Normally not, but I'm happy to make an exception once in a while. Besides, just because my body's dead doesn't mean my taste buds are!"

Set was about to point out just how incredibly inconsistent that statement was when he noticed the small twinkle in his brother's eye. Chuckling slightly, they sat down and began eating. Oddly the meal went well, with Julius talking about the daily grind of the underworld while Set bragged about his reinstated position on Ra's boat. They both tactfully avoided mentioning the whole murder thing or Isis' treachery, only occasionally making references to life before either event. Julius especially avoided mentioning children. He knew Set was less than pleased with how Sadie and Carter had defeated him, and he and Horus had never gotten along. But as much as he wanted to bring up Anubis, he held his tongue. Set knew he had a son and that Osiris had raised him, but that was about all, and his mood was so unpredictable that he didn't want to risk ruining the first pleasant conversation the two brothers had had in centuries. So they stuck to safe topics and enjoyed the food, sharing the occasional joke or good-natured jab at one another.

By the time they had finished eating Set was in a surprisingly good mood. Even if he still wasn't sure if he had actually come to see Osiris, he found himself enjoying his brother's company.

Wiping his mouth with a cotton napkin, Julius remembered something. He cast him a slightly nervous look. "Set, there's someone else here that you might want to see."

He raised a dark eyebrow. "Oh? And who might that be?" Instead of answering, Julius led him back to the throne room and indicated to a pair of figures over by the scales, seemingly deep in discussion. One was a teenage boy with shaggy black hair, black jeans and a leather jacket. Ammit was awake and sitting at his feet. Set vaguely recognized him from a few times when all the gods had gathered, such as Osiris' infamous birthday party. The other figure was a hauntingly familiar woman with equally dark hair and a blue gown that seemed to flow down her shapely body like a river.

"Nephthys," he whispered. Apparently her hearing was better than he had ever given her credit for, as she started and turned to face him.

Her sad blue eyes widened in recognition. "Set."

He should have been happy. He should have been thrilled to see his wife after so many centuries of separation. The last time he'd seen any aspect of her she was in that _shabti_ girl, a form that did her no justice. He should have been overcome by her beauty, by those eyes that he'd often found himself lost in, that hair that he'd tightly tangled his fingers in during passionate trysts in the night. Instead, all he felt was rage rising like dust in a sandstorm.

Face twisting into a scowl, he attempted to casually walk up to her, but ended up being more like a soldier marching into battle. "Hello, sister," he growled, eyes narrowing in scrutiny.

The River Goddess bit her lip and lowered her eyes. "Hello, brother."

He grasped her chin between his fingers, not caring at how his sharp nails indented her flawless skin. "What? Can't bear to look upon the face of your own husband? Can't look at the man you betrayed?"

Julius attempted to put a placating hand on his shoulder. "Set, don't—"

"Shut up!" he bellowed, forcing the hand off and pushing his brother back. "This is between me and my wife. Now," he said, voice lowering dangerously, "just what are you doing here, Nephthys? Are you plotting against me again? Or maybe you're giving another child away?" Part of him regretted that comment as her eyes began to fill up with tears, but three millennia of pain and betrayal had festered inside him like an infection, and the wound had finally been ripped opened, letting everything bleed out. "What, did you whore yourself out in my absence and end up with another unwanted brat? So typical of you, sister. You never did learn how to keep your legs shut!"

His rage-filled tirade was ended by a sharp punch to the jaw. Releasing Nephthys as he stumbled back, he stared at the dark-eyed youth who had dared strike him.

"Don't talk to her like that," the boy growled.

Set sized him up. He was lean, but not particularly strong-looking. _Certainly not a warrior_, he thought with a sneer. "And just who are you, boy? Her bodyguard?" He laughed at the absurdity of the thought.

The boy's growl was almost dog-like as his face began taking the appearance of a jackal. Ammit growled as well, hackles raised at his master's fury. "No, but if you even _think_ of speaking to her like that again I'll show you the true meaning of pain!" His long ears flatted and his sharp teeth flashed, bright ivory standing out against charcoal fur.

He snorted. "That still doesn't answer who you are, or for that matter what gives you the right to interfere. This is a family matter, boy. In other words, none of your damn business. Do you even know what she's done? She betrayed my trust, sided with my brother, and even abandoned our own child! If anything I'm being nicer than she deserves. Now why don't you run along and bury a bone or something?"

If anything the youth only looked angrier. "If it's a family affair then this is most certainly my business! And I don't care what she did to you. No one, not even you, talks to my mother that way!"

Set froze. Oh Ra, this was the boy. This was his son. How did he not see it before? He looked so much like he did when he was young, only with his mother's hair and complexion. _He even has my eyes_, he realized as the boy resumed his more human form. Clearing his throat, Set asked, "What's your name, boy?"

"Anubis," he growled, a bit calmer but a glare still firmly on his face. "And like I said, even if she's never exactly been there for me, I'm not going to let anyone, man or woman, make such accusations about her. Not even you, _Father_."

Silently observing the spectacle, Nephthys and Julius shared a glance. They had wanted the two to meet eventually, but this was not the way either of them had planned. They had certainly expected some tension and that they wouldn't get along right away, but they hadn't expected such a confrontation. Father and son were silently staring each other down as if sizing up a possible enemy. Anubis was tense and ready to attack, and Set looked like he considering striking the boy.

The silence was broken when Set said, "I'll admit you throw a decent punch, but you stand no chance against me, boy. You're no warrior, and even if you were a trained combatant I doubt you have the stomach for violence."

Anubis snorted. "I was the one who invented mummification. You know, the process where organs and blood are removed from the body? I'm pretty sure my stomach is tougher than you think." He laid a soothing hand on Ammit's head and the beast ceased its growling, though it remained tense, ready to attack if necessary.

"Dissecting dead bodies is nothing compared to cutting open the living. You'd faint if you ever saw actual blood."

"Why don't we find out then? Care to volunteer?"

Set actually laughed. "You have spirit, boy, I'll give you that!"

Snarling, the God of Funerals shouted, "My name is Anubis, not _boy_!"

His laughter faded to a chuckle and he flashed him a cruel grin. "Alright then, _Anubis,_ if I did continue to speak to your mother as I had been, or perhaps even strike her, just what would you do?"

Anubis straightened his spine and met his father's eyes with no fear. It was a look Set had rarely seen, a look that shouted that he would fight to the death to defend a lady's honor.

"We'd find out just what would happen if the mummification process was done on one of the living."

Nephthys gasped and Julius cringed. That wasn't a pleasant thought to say the least. _And not an empty threat either_, he thought, taking in the way his surrogate son was refusing to back down.

Even Set found himself impressed with his son's determination. _Well, the boy certainly knows how to make an impression,_ he thought, absentmindedly rubbing his jaw. He smirked a bit. "Alright, then. I suppose you're not completely hopeless, though I still doubt you could actually beat me."

Anubis blinked. Did his father just give him a complement? Well, a backhanded compliment, but it was more acknowledgment than he had ever gotten before. Then again, Set hadn't even known he was his son until that moment, so he was used to being ignored. Still, it was oddly nice to have gained even a little of his father's respect.

"Good. I'm glad we understand each other." He turned to his mother and foster father. "Mother, Lord Osiris, I have a few things to attend to. Father," he acknowledged, giving him a polite nod before strolling off, Ammit at his heels.

Set turned back to his estranged wife. "So that's my son."

It wasn't a question, but Nephthys found herself answering anyway. "Yes. I had hoped you two would meet, but…"

"But this wasn't exactly how anyone had hoped it would happen," Julius finished, hoping to ease the remaining tension.

"The boy is nothing like me. Are you sure that's actually my son?" Set didn't know why he was asking. The boy was obviously of his blood; they looked far too much alike.

The goddess actually giggled a bit, walking forward to stand by his side. "Nothing like you? Husband, do you recall when Sobek tried to woo me?"

Set actually found himself grinning at the memory. The Crocodile God had desired the lovely Nephthys for himself, despite the fact that she and Set were courting. So Sobek had made some failed advances, each more pathetic than the last. It had finally gotten to the point where he had given up all pretense of subtlety and had made a rather vulgar comment about her. For that, Set had broken the crocodile's jaw, knocking out several of his teeth, and then made several specific, very violent promises of what he would do if Sobek ever dared speak with her again. After that no god or goddess dared speak to Nephthys with any amount of disrespect for fear of what Set would do to them.

He laughed pleasantly and gently wrapped his arm around her waist. It felt good to have her in his arms again, and he felt the years of bitterness begin to drain away. "Well, I suppose he does carry one or two of my little quirks." He shrugged when his wife gave him a wry glance. "Alright, he's my son. Not exactly what I had expected, mind you, but I suppose I can give him credit for having the guts to stand up to the God of Evil."

Nephthys smiled and rested her head on her husband's shoulder as Julius laughed behind them. They still had a long way to go before they could become the happy family she had dreamt of, but at least they were on better standing. And she was certainly proud of Anubis. She had come to the Hall of Judgment in hopes of gaining even a little of her son's forgiveness, though she didn't feel she deserved it. She had told him how she had only given him up because Set had been becoming more violent, as he was born not long after Isis had banished Ra and taken away his father's chance at the throne. She had meant to reclaim him once Set had calmed down, but as the years went by he only became worse. She had wanted their son to have a happy, loving childhood, but she felt she had failed.

Anubis had been quietly contemplating this when Set had spotted them, and the way he had defended her had both shocked her and given her hope. Her son may not have forgiven her entirely, but he obviously cared about his mother enough to strike his own incredibly dangerous father. And now her incredibly dangerous husband was holding her, poorly attempting to hide his own pride in their son.

She snuggled closer. "So, despite the rocky start, I think you two should start spending more time together. A little father-son bonding could be nice."

"And I'm supposed to do this out of the evilness of my heart?" Set rolled his eyes when she gave him a stern look.

"You could play catch. That's the traditional method among the mortals," Julius tossed in helpfully, pleased that Set was once again moderately content.

Set raised an eyebrow. "Hmph. From what I saw _catch_ will end up being _fetch_. Ow!" he growled, rubbing his sore ribs while his wife stared him down. He sighed at her unspoken demand. "Fine, I'll stop the dog jokes."

"And?"

He sighed again, but allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. He squeezed her gently. "And I'll try to get to know our son." _Our son._ Set definitely liked the sound of that. And he liked the fact that he had found exactly who he had been looking for even better.

End

Wow, this was a lot of fun to write. I felt that even though Nephthys wasn't there for him, Anubis was still the kind of guy who would be willing to throw a punch to protect his mother. And I feel that despite what they've done to each other, Set and Nephthys still love each other. Finally, for those of you wondering, I watched _The Mummy_ the other night and when it talked about mummifying Imhotep's priests alive as punishment and then Rick and Evie's dialogue when talking about mummification: "That's gotta hurt!" "Well it's called mummification, you'll be dead when they do this." I realized that mummification alive would be a pretty scary threat, especially coming from Anubis. And brownie points go to whoever gets where "And I'm supposed to do this out of the evilness of my heart?" came from! Seriously, does that quote fit him perfectly or what? I hope you all enjoyed, please review!


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